# Why can't the PROMPT be in the Message Box? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 5, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815 "2000-11-05T15:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/1 "2000-11-05T15:51:00Z")
On every other message board, including the old one here, when you choose to write a message & get to the message writing page, the prompt (cursor) is in the message box, so its easy to just start writing the message. On this board the cursor doesn’t appear in the box so one has to grab the mouse, point to the box & click to bring it to attention, put down the mouse & start typing the message…a waste of time, since if you are on the message writing page, what else could you want to do than to write a message? Of course, I should have mentioned this about a year ago when they changed the software 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/2 "2000-11-05T17:09:51Z")
So _that_ explains the sudden drop in the rate of increase for your post count… we were all getting worried. Now I have to go back to that thread and modify my wager on when you’ll reach 10,000. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/3 "2000-11-05T18:42:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*Uh, 'cuz that’s the way the software is written? I don’t know what to tell ya, except to make your suggestions to the guys that actually produce the software. [http://www.vbulletin.com](http://www.vbulletin.com) \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tshirts \* > **Please take UncleBeer’s advice and tell vB. \*\* > Your suggestion will be considered there.The vBulletin guys are very encouraged by receiving feedback like this. > Note their message board forum has the slightly misleading name of “COMMUNITY” and is at this direct link > \*\* [vBulletin Community Forum](http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/index.php)** > > They don’t get nearly the activity of the SDMB, so be sure to ask for email when they comment on your ideas a week later. (Be sure to spell out Straight Dope Message Board and post the link, as most of their readers don’t know “SDMB”, any more than you know all the other message boards’ initials.) > > Every one of my suggestions has received favorable comments from both other vB sites and the vB techs. > If you see an idea already posted that you like, be sure to support the other guy, to raise it on their “to look into” list! > > The idea you have above is very doable, so it has a better chance than most suggestions they get. > > One “extension” to on your idea which I like, but would be a much bigger change, is to have one button go directly to your desired result- a list of “All the threads since I was last here where someone added afer I posted.” (Yes, it sounds hard, but it’s not hard when stated as a boolean operation of items they can already select on.) > > Good luck to anyone who suggests something there! > And tell us what you suggested in MPSIMS so maybe others can go there to support you. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/4 "2000-11-05T22:40:40Z")
When I start a post, the blinking cursor is always in the reply box, so I don’t quite understand what your problem is here. I would ask “am I just weird?,” but think I know that answer already. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2000, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/5 "2000-11-05T23:19:42Z")
Since you said it’s different, I checked around some more. It works for me like for handy here, but I just discovered it’s also a problem on _some_ other forums. [Coolboard.com](http://Coolboard.com) - no cursor ZDnet Music/Napster forum - no cursor OpalCat’s forum - yes cursor So maybe it’s not in the vB but in the browser. I’m on IE 5.5, the latest version. Maybe they changed something there? But don’t bother to ask Microsoft anything. Unlike vB, they are totally unresponsive, even to obvious bugs. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/6 "2000-11-06T00:00:09Z")
Geesh. I have never noticed this serious problem! On mine, the cursor does not appear in the window until I click there, but my hand is already on the mouse because I just clicked “Post Reply” or the “quote” icon, so I just move it over and click. Do you have a special way of hitting “post reply” without using the mouse? If so, please share. If not… ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/7 "2000-11-06T00:08:00Z")
Well you could “Tab” your way to it but that would be a bit of a pain in the rear. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/8 "2000-11-06T00:10:13Z")
Arthur Frommer’s Travel message boards - no cursor Yahoo Travel message boards - no cursor Marketwizard stock boards - cursor Does seem odd. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/9 "2000-11-06T04:11:40Z")
Three thoughts: 1. My cursor does not appear in the Reply box automatically with my browser. 2. Being “old school”, I use the Tab key anyways. 3. Damn, this issue is **the** nitpick of all nitpicks, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/10 "2000-11-06T04:22:19Z")
The cursor doesn’t show up in the Reply box for me, either. But I’ve grown so accustomed to scrolling down slightly (to see more of the reply box) and clicking in the Reply box that it doesn’t matter, anyway. > [@](#): > > On this board the cursor doesn’t appear in the box so one has to grab the mouse, point to the box & click to bring it to attention, put down the mouse & start typing the message…a waste of time Y’know, when the current keyboard layout was first invented, it was designed so haphazardly so as to slow down those who used it. Otherwise, they typed so fast that the typewriter couldn’t keep up. So, **handy** , think of this “glitch” as a means of slowing YOU down with regards to post rate 😃 ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/11 "2000-11-06T04:30:34Z")
Cursor doesn’t appear there for me either. This gets really annoying, as my mouse gets kind of finnicky at times, and stops responding to the left mouse button. Oh, and SPOOFE, are you sure of that? Because [Cecil seems to think differently](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_248.html). ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/12 "2000-11-06T07:32:44Z")
Bah. Leave it to **waterj2** to ignore the message so he can nitpick the delivery. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/13 "2000-11-06T13:22:45Z")
Let’s stick to the topic of this thread and leave personal attack and insult out of it. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/14 "2000-11-06T15:37:46Z")
I think SPOOFE was just kidding. We generally seem to get along quite well, so I can’t imagine any bad blood between us. He’s one of the few people here that seems to regularly be on the boards late at night when I’m here, so we often end up talking back and forth a little. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/15 "2000-11-06T16:42:31Z")
"When I start a post, the blinking cursor is always in the reply box, so I don’t quite understand what your problem is here. " Just what browser are you using Tuba? Did you make any special settings that only mods might have? I love it when the cursor is in the reply box because then I know the reply box is going to be centered on the page, ready to take my literal input…I wish I had a girlfriend like that. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/16 "2000-11-06T17:06:44Z")
This may be the point where you can ask vBulletin, since even if UBB (at OpalCat’s forum) works for you, like it does for me, then they can fix it by doing whatever UBB does. Try **[The Fabulous Forums](http://fff.fathom.org/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi)** if you aren’t already a member. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/17 "2000-11-06T23:16:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Let’s stick to the topic of this thread and leave personal attack and insult out of it. Gah!! I’m sorry, sorry sorry sorry!! I forgot the 😃 smiley. 'Twon’t happen again, I swear on Mozart’s grave!! ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/18 "2000-11-06T23:33:59Z")
Mozart is dead? I have to scroll down in the first place to even see the reply box, but after I do, there’s no cursor in the reply box. Therefore, unless using the scrollbar affects it, I don’t start out with a cursor. I use IE5. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-prompt-be-in-the-message-box/39815/19 "2000-11-06T23:58:37Z")
Lemme guess, Kat… your screen resolution is 800X600, or (say it ain’t so!) 640X480?